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Kimberly W. Land (757) 864-9885 k.w.land@larc.nasa.gov

RELEASE NO. 01-084

For Release: August 2, 2001

Tuesday, August 7 Exciting Improvements to Space Transportation

NASA, the United States Air Force and industry partners, have been conducting research into some very exotic advanced fuels and propellants. Currently under study are designer jet fuels and rocket propellants with higher energy content that promise to reduce the weight and complexity of new rocket propulsion vehicles and spacecraft.

Media Briefing: A media briefing will be held at 1:15 p.m. at the H.J.E. Reid Conference Center, 14 Langley Blvd., at NASA Langley Research Center. Members of the media who wish to attend should contact Kimberly W. Land (757) 864-9885.

According to Palaszewski, the use of one tank instead of separate tanks for two propellants simplifies launch operations, and designers can theoretically reduce the weight and complexity of new rocket propulsion vehicles and spacecraft.

He has worked at NASA Glenn since 1989 and is currently directing research on high performance propellants. He led the Accident Mitigation aspects of the NASA/FAA Aviation Safety Program, investigating ways of making aircraft and their fuels safer.

Palaszewski received his bachelors in mechanical engineering from the City College of New York in 1981, and holds a masters in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The general public is invited to the Sigma Series lecture on the same topic at the Virginia Air and Space Center at 7:30 p.m., that evening.